IDOP

Last Sunday was International Day of Prayer (IDOP) for the Persecuted Church. At our church, Tom Zurowski shared on his encounters with the persecuted church through the years, and what they have taught him, and how they can teach all of us. Their lives and stories of faith and courage in the midst of persecution remind us of the cost of following Christ, and they encourage us to follow Him by life or by death.

The persecuted church has had a great impact on my life. They are our brothers and sisters. The Bible says to "Remember those who are in prison, as though in prison with them, and those who are mistreated, since you also are in the body."


We must remember our brothers and sisters around the world, who we are very much connected to, and pray for them, be a voice for them, and be bold and courageous for Jesus ourselves through their courage and inspiration.


The video below is powerful. It will help us understand what people like Pastor Youcef and others face in a nation like Iran that is hostile toward Christianity. Please pray for Pastor Youcef and learn more about his current imprisonment here.


Other resources that will help you to learn about persecuted Christians can be found at The Voice of the Martyrs, Global Response Network, reading books like Foxe's Book of Martyrs, and reading the Bible, of which we forget that many of the writers of the books in the Bible were martyrs for Christ themselves.


Be encouraged and strengthened today through the video below, and remember our family around the world.